Dr. Murray Feingold: Be happy, and live healthier and longer

Tuesday

Feb 4, 2014 at 1:27 PMFeb 4, 2014 at 1:27 PM

By Dr. Murray FeingoldMore Content Now

For a variety of reasons, many people do not enjoy life. This is not only sad, but a recent article says it may also be hazardous to their health.It’s not always easy to enjoy life, especially if you have depression, are chronically ill, unhappy with your family situation or job, have financial problems — and the list goes on and on.Although it is frequently difficult to overcome the causes of unhappiness, it’s well worth the effort. Not only will the person feel better, but it may also have a positive impact on the individual’s physical health.A recent study determined if enjoying life had a positive effect on a person’s physical health and if it also helped him or her to age better. More than 3,000 men and women older than 60 were followed for eight years. Studies were done to determine participants’ attitudes toward life — did they enjoy life or were they unhappy with life? Also determined was the speed in which they walked. The reason for this was, studies have shown that walking speed is a good measure of a person’s functional ability, a measure of their balance and an indicator of their future health status.Results showed that people who enjoyed life had a slower rate of losing their abilities to do things physically. They were less likely to develop certain physical impairments of daily living, such as difficulty getting in and out of bed or getting dressed. They also had less of a decrease in their walking speed compared to individuals who did not enjoy life as much, indicating they could function better.Those who enjoyed life less had a three-times-greater risk of impairment of their daily living activities.The importance of enjoying life is certainly not a new concept, although it may be elusive. This does not mean you should not try.There are various sayings about enjoying life such as, “Take time to stop and smell the roses.” Author Samuel Butler wrote, “Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it.” And then there are the lyrics of a Bob Marley song, “In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double, so don’t worry, be happy.”Sometimes easier said than done.Dr. Murray Feingold is the physician in chief of The Feingold Center for Children, medical editor of WBZ-TV and WBZ radio and president of the Genesis Fund. The Genesis Fund is a nonprofit organization that funds the care of children born with birth defects, mental retardation and genetic diseases.